Chad vs Mali
Chad is 4% larger than Mali.
ChadMaliChad moved onto Mali · Equal-area projection
1.04×
Chad is 1.04× the area of Mali.
 Chad |  Mali | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaChad: 1.04× the area | 1,284,000 km²#20 of 194 | 1,240,192 km²#23 of 194 |
| Coastline | Landlocked | Landlocked |
| Land neighbours | 6 | 7 |
| People | ||
| PopulationMali: 1.2× the population | 21,003,705#64 of 194 · 2025 | 25,198,821#58 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensityMali: 1.24× the density | 16 / km²#177 of 194 | 20 / km²#165 of 194 |
| Urban populationMali: 1.17× the urban share | 28%#175 of 192 · 2025 | 32%#165 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateChad: 1.09× the births per woman | 6.03 per woman#1 of 192 · 2024 | 5.51 per woman#6 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthChad: 0.51 points higher | +3.41%#6 of 192 · 2025 | +2.90%#14 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateChad: 1.1× the birth rate | 43.3 per 1,000#2 of 192 · 2024 | 39.5 per 1,000#6 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death rateChad: 1.31× the death rate | 11.1 per 1,000#24 of 192 · 2024 | 8.5 per 1,000#63 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15Chad: 0.2 points higher | 46.0%#4 of 192 · 2025 | 45.8%#6 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Mali: 0.3 points higher | 2.1%#189 of 192 · 2025 | 2.4%#185 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationMali: 4.0 per 1,000 higher | −5.9 per 1,000#175 of 192 · 2025 | −1.9 per 1,000#142 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroadMali: 28.3× the refugees for its size | 0.73 per 1,000#67 of 190 · 2025 | 20.63 per 1,000#11 of 190 · 2025 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancyMali: 5.5 years longer | 55.2 years#191 of 192 · 2024 | 60.7 years#186 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortalityChad: 1.19× the infant mortality | 56.3 per 1,000 births#10 of 191 · 2024 | 47.5 per 1,000 births#16 of 191 · 2024 |
| DoctorsMali: 2.11× the doctors per person | 0.09 per 1,000#168 of 178 · 2023 | 0.19 per 1,000#151 of 178 · 2023 |
| University enrolment | 4.4%#142 of 145 · 2020 | — |
| Human Development IndexMali: 0.003 higher | 0.416#187 of 190 · 2023 | 0.419#185 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capitaMali: 1.15× the income per person | $970#171 of 185 · 2025 | $1,120#166 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPMali: 1.4× the economy | $21.47B2025 | $30.07B2025 |
| Income group | Low income | Low income |
| GDP per capita (PPP)Mali: 1.21× the output per person | $2,903#172 of 184 · 2025 | $3,503#166 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthThe same | +5.6%#38 of 187 · 2025 | +5.6%#38 of 187 · 2025 |
| InflationMali: 7.2 points higher | −3.9%#173 of 176 · 2025 | +3.3%#81 of 176 · 2025 |
| UnemploymentMali: 2.55× the unemployment | 1.1%#172 of 178 · 2025 | 2.8%#146 of 178 · 2025 |
| Extreme povertyChad: 1.09× the share in extreme poverty | 39.5%#20 of 149 · 2022 | 36.1%#25 of 149 · 2021 |
| Income inequality (Gini)Chad: 1.7 higher | 37.4#56 of 149 · 2022 | 35.7#66 of 149 · 2021 |
| Jobs in agricultureChad: 8.7 points higher | 71.7% of jobs#4 of 178 · 2025 | 63.0% of jobs#12 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in industryMali: 0.1 points higher | 8.5% of jobs#162 of 178 · 2025 | 8.6% of jobs#161 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in servicesMali: 8.6 points higher | 19.8% of jobs#176 of 178 · 2025 | 28.4% of jobs#167 of 178 · 2025 |
| Foreign investmentMali: 2.8 points higher | 0.0% of GDP#162 of 184 · 2025 | 2.8% of GDP#68 of 184 · 2025 |
| ExportsChad: 7.3 points higher | 29.4% of GDP#105 of 168 · 2025 | 22.1% of GDP#124 of 168 · 2025 |
| Military spendingMali: 1.21× the military spending | 3.2% of GDP#26 of 155 · 2025 | 3.9% of GDP#14 of 155 · 2025 |
| Internet usersMali: 2.92× the share online | 13%#182 of 184 · 2024 | 37%#157 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptionsMali: 1.53× the mobile subscriptions | 73 per 100#155 of 191 · 2024 | 112 per 100#107 of 191 · 2022 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaMali: 2.9× the forest share | 3% of land#170 of 192 · 2024 | 9% of land#158 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per personMali: 2.14× the CO₂ per person | 0.14 t a year#177 of 185 · 2024 | 0.30 t a year#161 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energyMali: 1.1 points higher | 70.0%#29 of 190 · 2022 | 71.1%#28 of 190 · 2022 |
| Access to electricityMali: 36.1 points higher | 13.4%#191 of 192 · 2024 | 49.5%#178 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5)Chad: 1.21× the air pollution | 43.0 µg/m³#18 of 191 · 2023 | 35.5 µg/m³#33 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landChad: 13.5 points higher | 21.0% of land#78 of 191 · 2025 | 7.5% of land#159 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landMali: 1.3 points higher | 4.2% of land#135 of 190 · 2024 | 5.5% of land#126 of 190 · 2024 |
| Water stressMali: 1.86× the water stress | 4.3%#126 of 176 · 2022 | 8.0%#99 of 176 · 2022 |
| PrecipitationChad: 1.14× the rain and snow | 322 mm#153 of 180 · 2022 | 282 mm#155 of 180 · 2022 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stabilityChad: 0.93 higher | −1.57#174 of 193 · 2025 | −2.50#192 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruptionMali: 0.40 higher | −1.34#177 of 193 · 2025 | −0.94#149 of 193 · 2025 |
| State | ||
| Status | Independent state | Independent state |
| Government | Presidential republic | Semi-presidential republic |
| Capital | N'Djamena | Bamako |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Official languages | French, Arabic | Fula, Bambara, Soninke, Hassaniya Arabic, Songhay, Maninka, Dogon, Tamasheq, Senufo, Minyanka, Bozo, Kassonke, Bobo |
| Traffic drives | On the right | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC |
| Calling code | +235 | +223 |
| Region | Middle Africa, Africa | Western Africa, Africa |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Chad sits at about 15° N and is stretched to 1.07× its true area; Mali at 17° N is stretched to 1.1×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Chad bigger than Mali?
- Yes. Chad is 4% larger than Mali. Chad covers 1,284,000 km² and Mali covers 1,240,192 km².
- How many times does Mali fit into Chad?
- About 1.0 times: Chad has 1.04× the area of Mali.
- Why do Chad and Mali look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Chad is drawn about 1.07× its true area there and Mali about 1.1×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Chad or Mali?
- Mali: 25,198,821 people against 21,003,705. Density: Chad 16 per km², Mali 20 per km².
- Which is richer, Chad or Mali?
- By gross national income per person, Mali: $1,120 against $970 (World Bank, Atlas method, 2025) — 1.15× as much.
- Where do people live longer, Chad or Mali?
- In Mali: life expectancy at birth is 60.7 years, against 55.2 — 5.5 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Chad and Mali have?
- By constitution, as the CIA World Factbook describes them — Chad: presidential republic; Mali: semi-presidential republic.